Receptura apteczna bonifratrów w Cieszynie w latach 1946-1951

Receptura apteczna bonifratrów w Cieszynie w latach 1946-1951

Olga Gala

This thesis is showing prescription medicines produced in the Cieszyn Pharmacy of Knight Hospitallers in years 1946 – 1951.



The care of the Sick and the help to needing people were a domain of the Church from immemorial time. Particularly much on this field Brothers of the Mercy made. Their other popular names were: Knight Hospitallers, Merciful Brothers of St. Jan Boży, Good Brothers and Hospital Brothers. They have been serving poor, suffering and skipped sick people running hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies. The last ones provided medicines - for sick people staying within the monastery free of charge, but for people from the outside - behind the payment.
A founder member of the Order of Knight Hospitallers was Jan Ciudad, born in 1495. He devoted himself entirely to the service for the Sick, living in poverty with the poorest. Due to his life full of acts of the mercy, he gained the God's nickname. Partners of Jan Boży continued an activity initiated by him, opening next hospitals, providing the care and the treatment for sick people.
In Poland the first hospital of Knight Hospitallers was founded in Cracow. To Cieszyn they were got in 1700. After loss of the independence through Poland the invaders commenced a dissolution of polish orders. The Cieszyn convention was one of these wchich survived. After 1918 the Order of Knight Hospitallers started reviving. In the interwar period the Good Brothers rebuilt and modernised regained hospitals, from which they had to leave again for the duration of the World War II and a German occupation. A few years after the war, socialist authorities ended hospitals run by Brothers of the Mercy and took their pharmacies over.
The Pharmacy of Knight Hospitallers in Cieszyn is considered to be opened in 1694 or 1700. It is probably in the same place from 1719 by now. For many years it provided with medicines both patients of the hospital, and sick people from the outside.
In years 1946 - 1951the Pharmacy of Knight Hospitallers in Cieszyn was being carried out prescription medicines in different forms. They have been producing and selling: powders, herbs, pills, suppositories, ointments, solutions, drops, syrups, blends and barren medicines. The most often prepared medicines were: powders, ointments and solutions. The majority of preparations contained natural plant raw materials or their preserves. For medicinal properties of all preparations were responsible some active substances contained in them.
Majority of healing substances universally used in the analysed period isn't being used in the prescription at present or generally in the health care. Presented recipes for prescription medicines with comments accompanying them enable the Reader getting to know individual forms of medicines produced in the Cieszyn Pharmacy of Knight Hospitallers in the analysed period and their elements.

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